Posted by You may have a lot of experience for the cruise jobs you are applying for and you can have all the right skills. However, it may cost you the job if you do not have the right personality. An exceptional combination of skills and ethics is what employers are looking for in a successful applicant.
With your cover letter and resume, how do you convey that you have the right personality?
To reflect your personality in crafting your resume and cover letter, it is just as important to show off your skills and experience. Crew members who are energetic, outgoing, friendly, cool and can get along with others are what cruise lines are looking for. They also want employees who can be easily trained, have excellent listening skills, adaptable to change and are goal-driven. Soft skills are what is commonly referred to as this group of skills.
It’s one thing to show these qualities during an interview, but you need to do those interviews first!
If your resume looks like all other resumes or your cover letter is boring, you won’t stand out enough to land an interview. You need to use the above soft skills in all work experience and skills sections.
In any sales targets you have exceeded, you should give specific examples in your resume. Explain how you have interchanged and learned additional skills or how you have adapted to change after the transition.
Then, show your enthusiasm by showing that you are ready to start working on cruise ships. The cover letter should say something similar to “My passport is valid until July 2019” as an example.
Also, it’s not enough to say you have good communication skills. If you’re looking for a long-term career on cruise ships, keep that in mind. For all positions, cruise applicants can benefit from understanding what it means to be a good communicator. The cruise industry wants employees who will be a positive voice for their company just like many onshore industries.
How well do you represent the cruise line when confronted with an upset passenger? How well do you communicate with other employees and managers? Many job applicants write “good communication skills” on their resume. The bottom line is that cruise employers want to know how you interact with their passengers and crew. You must be able to answer questions succinctly, correctly and quickly. You’ll need to find common ground with a disgruntled passenger or crew member. And in order to be able to dissipate sensitive situations with all passengers and crew, you must be able to establish a good relationship. Being a professional under pressure and staying calm requires the applicant to be patient.
Keep in mind that a cruise ship boards new passengers at the end of each cruise. With your communication skills on the job, will you be able to make a lasting impression? Listening skills, in the communication process is the important part. Good communicators are also excellent listeners. Behind the scenes, understand that every cruise will see a change of crew within each department. Crew members coming from all over the world represent many different cultures.
How adaptable are you to communicating with people who may not speak the same language as you? Of course, it’s a welcome bonus to speak a second language. Being able to make your resume and cover letter stand out from other applicants is key to an interview and a cruise ship career. Being able to express how good you are is a lot more than just saying you are a good communicator. During the application process, even your emails will highlight your communication skills.